Rule action for creating a task from a Task Template

I can’t find an existing request for this but if this request already exists please link me to it.

There is an action for adding a task to a project via a form. I want that but for adding a task via a task template.

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Hello @Rebecca_Bowen,

Have you considered adding a special custom field (for example single select) in your task template so when somebody creates a task from the template this would trigger a rule to run.
So basically the trigger is a specific selection in the custom field that is preset in the template.

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Hello! I duplicated a project and the many rules set in the project do not appear to be running, though they are active and everything looks correct. I attempted to re-create the rules on a test task, but when I go to set the rule with multiple triggers, the option for the resulting action to be to CREATE A NEW TASK (from a template) does not seem to be available. I can only create a new task–not create/find an existing task template. Help?

Welcome, @Autumn_Stroup,

I’ve merged your post into an existing thread where you can click the title to scroll to the top and vote by clicking the purple Vote button.

Thanks,

Larry

That is unhelpful. The trigger IS set to be when a custom field is set to a specific thing–and then that triggers the creation of a task. But, I need that task to be a template. That does not seem to be available.

@Autumn_Stroup,

Sorry, I initially failed to notice that the original poster used the word “trigger” when I think they meant the word “action” which I believe corresponds to your request.

I’ve updated the title of the thread.

You’re correct; this feature does not exist yet but many of us hope it will be added, and you can add your vote here.

In the meantime, we work around this by using rule actions to effectively duplicate what the task template does. That unfortunately means two places to keep the same structure in sync, but it’s the best workaround I know of until/if the feature arrives.

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Hmmm I’m confused. In the prior project (that I cloned to make this new one where the rules for some reason aren’t running), it appears that the multi-step trigger for the rule did indeed trigger an action that created a task from a task template. I uploaded an image of the existing rule that I can’t seem to recreate (even though I can see the Silver sponsorship task template in the list of templates for the project).

You’re looking at a rule to create a task titled “Create an Asana sponsorship task from the SILVER template.” No template actually involved!!

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Ah thank you! That’s definitely helpful. Wow–I have a lot of rework to do. :frowning: I appreciate your help!!

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That screenshot caused me a lot of self-doubting until I realized what must have been at play! :slight_smile:

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Well it definitely confused me too.

Ok next question (sorry!). Now I am attempting to run that multi-trigger rule on subtasks, which we seem to have clearly done in the OLD version of this project (the one I cloned to create this new one). But, I can’t get the rule to run on the subtasks–only on main tasks.

Basically, when I check off one of the Silver sponsorships in the subtasks (see screenshot below), I want it to trigger the rule/action from the screenshot I originally provided. I can’t get that to work–even though it works if I make the Silver Sponsorships a “main task.” But I KNOW with the old version of this project, we were able to check off each Silver Sponsorship in the subtask to get that rule to trigger the new task. So confused!
Silver Sponsorships

Do you have the rule set to run on tasks? It should be set to both tasks and subtasks in your case:

No–it is set to run on tasks & subtasks. :frowning:

A subtask will satisfy the “task is marked as complete” trigger but likely won’t satisfy the others which would apply to a task (the subtask is not in the section; the subtask doesn’t have a custom field set).

Hmm the “Silver Sponsorship” subtask appears to have custom fields (where we were able to insert “sponsorship level”? (see screenshot)

Yes, subtasks inherit the fields, but I didn’t know if you were setting it to enable the rule to trigger. The trigger for section remains.

I help clients all the time with these issues (but not asynchronously like this!), so I’m afraid I’ll have to make this my last reply so as to keep my volunteer Forum posts and replies more generally helpful to all; thanks.

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As @lpb said, unless you’ve manually assigned it to the project and a section, a subtask is not considered to be in a section so it won’t meet that trigger condition. In the other project where you say it’s working, perhaps those subtasks are assigned to the project? That would explain why a rule like this would work in that project.

Thank you for your help!

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Need this to be available asap since the current task creation in Rules doesn’t entertain dependencies.
I have to create tasks with templates and then merge them manually.

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FYI the “Add tasks” and “Add subtasks” rule actions in our Flowsana integration support dependencies. :slightly_smiling_face: